Fastening device



Dec. 19, 1950' E. GISONDI 2,534,653

FASTENING DEVICE Filed June 13, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY Emanuel zLsomZi dtfa rug

Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED s'rA'rEs TNT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to fastening devices, and particularly to those of nail-like form adapted to be forced or driven through one or more layers of sheet material and to extend into or beyond the back of the material and have parts or prong-like ends bent over or clenched either at the back of the material or within the body of the same. A nail of the character above described will be found in my co-pending application, Serial No. 647,499, filed February 14, 1946, and the present invention relates to improvements in a nail of that character.

An object of the present invention is to provide a nail-like fastener of the type described in which a bending-over or clenching action is automatically secured by merely driving the nail into or through the material to bring head portions with which it is provided into flattened contact with the outer face of the material, the driving movement of the nail through the mate" rial acting to cause pronged-end portions on the nail to clench over at the back of the material. or within the body of the material if the material is of low-density nature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nail of this character which may be easily fabricated from one or more pieces of sheet metal and which will be especially adaptable for use in the low-den ity sheet materials now finding wide use in building construction and in which ordinary nails, screws and similar non-clenching fastening devices do not find a secure anchorage.

While I have herein described the improved fastening device as being particularly adapted for use in building construction, that is only one of the many uses to which it may be put, since it will be obvious that it may be employed for any purpose requiring a secure, self-clenching nail which is driven in like an ordinary nail, but which will effectively lock itself in place by spread and reinforced parts either within the body of the material or at the back of the material through which it is driven.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a sheet-metal blank from which one of the improved fasteners or nails is constructed;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the blank folded to brin one of its leg sections to a position to overlie the other leg section;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the completed nail;

Fig. 5 is a view looking at the head-end of the nail;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the nail;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view through two layers of sheet material through which the nail has been driven, showing the pronged end of the nail clenched over at the back of the sheet material;

Fig. 9 is a face view of a sheet-metal blank from which a slightly modified type of nail is made;

Fig. 10 is a side view of a nail made from the blank shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a view of the opposite side of the nail of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of said nail;

Fig. 13 is a face view of a sheet-metal blank from which another modified form of nail is made;

Fig. 14 shows the blank of Fig. 13 after it has been slightly compressed to produce the two leg sections of the shank of the nail; and Fig. 15 is a top plan view of the nail constructed from the blank of Figs. 13 and 14.

With reference to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, i indicates the sheet-metal blank from which one of the fasteners is constructed. The blank is in the form of an elongated strip having two strip-like leg sections 2 and 3. These two leg sections, which when placed in contiguous, overlying relation as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, constitute the shank of the nail, and are connected together only at one end, namely, on the line indicated at 4. The leg sections 2 and 3 are disposed angularly as shown and diverge toward their free ends from their point of connection.

In the production of the nail, the leg section 3 is the longer leg section. since its effective length is greater than that of the leg section 2, is strengthened by being transversely arched or channelled, as indicated at 5, this tending to stiffen and reinforce this leg. The blank is then folded on the line l in such a manner that the longer leg 55 is brought to a position where it is against and overlies the leg 2 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be noted that adjacent to the fold line t, the leg 2 is notched as shown at 6, to thereby iacilitate the folding operation necessary to bring legs 2 and 3 into overlying relationship.

Extending integrally from the leg portion 2 is a strip l which constitutes the head of the nail. Said strip E is wider than the legs 2 and 3, and is rovided with the shoulders 8 where it joins leg At 17115 posite or free end of the strip portion 1, the strip is bifurcated or provided with the notch 9, and the longitudinal edges of the strip portion 1 are provided with the notches I5] and H for purpose to be hereafter set forth.

After the blank has been brought to the condition shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the head portion of the nail, consisting of the strip '3, is then formed into substantially cylindrical form, or rolled in such a manner as to cause it to encircle the free end l2 of the longer leg 3-, in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive. When the strip portion or head i is rolled or formed in this manner, the notch 9 will fit around the legs 2 and 3 and be located closely adjacent to the shoulders 8.

At i3 and M are shown two layers of sheet material to be fastened together. The materials should, of course, be eithe nail penetrable, or if not, they should be preperforated or provided with a hole through which the nail is to be driven.

The nail is driven through the materials in the conventional manner by hammer blows applied on the cylindrical head, substant'ally at the point 15. If desired, the outer face of the cylindrical head portion 1 of the nail may be roughened or otherwise surfaced to prevent slippage of the hammer when driving the nail.

As the nail is driven through the materials, the pointed end is passes through and the shank of the nail enters the materials until the effec- 1 tive end of the leg 2, consisting of the shoulders 8, reaches the outer face I? of the outer layer l3. This limits the extent of penetration of the leg 2 and as driving of the nail is continued,

the longer leg 3 continues penetration of the materials and as its end portion emerges at the back of the materials, this portion distorts and bends or clenches over, forcing the end of the leg 2 over in similar manner, substantially as shown in Fig. 8. It will be observed that the blows of the hammer against the cylindrical head 1 causes the head to collapse or flatten, this flattening action of the head being facilitated by the provision of the notches iii and II in the edges of the head portion '3. flattening of the head i is to provide a relatively large flat head at one end of the nail, While the clenchedmver ends of the legs 2 and 3 at the other end of the nail co-operate with the relatively large head to provide an extremely secure fastener, particularly for soft or low density materials.

It will be seen from the foregoing, that a nail is provided in which a simple driving movement serves to not only cause the nail to penetrate the one Or more layers of material through which it is driven, but which causes the parts or legs of the nail which protrude at the back of the material to be bent or clenched over and rigidly braced in such bent-over position. The result is that a nail of this character, inserted as described, will not become displaced and can only be removed by manual Withdrawal. A feature of the improved nail is that the point at which the parts of the nail bend over at the back of the material is determined by the thickness of the material through which the nail is driven. That is to say, the protruding parts will bend over at the point where they emerge from the material, as is clearly seen in Fig. 8. justs itself automatically to materials of difierent thickness through which it may be driven.

While I have herein described the nail as one in which the end portions of the legs 2 and 3 will bend over at the back of the materials The result of the a Thus, the nail adthrough which the shank of the nail is driven, it is possible that with soft or low density materials, a clenchin or distortion of the end portions of the legs within the material, can also be had, so that the nail is not only useful in cases where a complete penetration through the mate rial is secured, but in the case of relatively soft materials, where a partial penetration of the nail takes place.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive, a slightly modified construction is shown, the main d'fference between this embodiment and that shown in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive being in the shape of the head. In the embodiment of Figs. 9 to 12, the short leg 2 is provided with a relatively short tab portion 20 formed with the edge notches 2!, which define a transverse fold line 22. The nail is produced substantially as described in respect to the first embodiment of the invention, except that the head of the nail, formed from the tab 20, consists of the relatively flat top 23 which takes over the end i2 of the longer leg 3, this top portion 23 of the tab 28 being produced when the tab is folded on the transverse fold line 22 to the shape substantially shown in Figs. 10 to 12. This nailoperates in the manner previously described. That is to say, it is driven in until the shoulders 8 abut the face of the material. This is the limit of penetration of the short leg 2, and as the driving continues the longer leg continues penetration until the head 23 is brought against the face of the material and the longer leg has bent over either within or at the back of the material, and has bent the end of the short leg over with it to clenching position.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 13 to 15, a nail operating in the manner described, but of slightly different construction, is shown. The main difference between the structure of this embodiment and those previously described is in the fact that in the present embodiment, a long leg 33 is provided by slitting the shorter leg 32 as shown in Fig. 13. The longer leg 33 is channeled, as described in respect to the leg 3 and then the leg 33 is compressed or contracted as shown at 34 in Fig. 14. The strip portion or head I substantially similar to that shown in Fig. 1 is doubled over to form a head or canopy about the top or headless end of the long leg 33 as shown in Fig. 15. This na l operates in the manner described with respect to the other embodiments of the invention, as far as its insertion and clenching over characteristics are concerned.

While I have herein shown the nail as being constructed from a single blank, it will be obvious that it might be made of several pieces of material, particularly when extreme saving of material is desired. For example, the two legs 2 and 3 (or 32 and 33) might be made of separate strips united at their tip portions by spot welding or in any other suitable economical way. Also, in the blanks from which the nails are produced the leg portions are shown as extending angularly and the angularity of these legs with respect to one another might be increased or decreased. Various other embodiments and alterations in the described structures are possible and are contemplated as within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A nail having a shank composed of a pair of legs pointed at one end and joined together at one side adjacent to said end, said legs being folded along their line of joinder to cause them to be disposed in overlying relation, one of said legs being longer than the other and with at least the free end thereof being reinforced against lat eral bending, the short leg having a head curled into substantially cylinder form, said head being integrally attached at one end to the short leg and forming shoulders at said point of attachment, the head being extended over the rear end of the long leg and having a slotted free end straddling the short leg behind the shoulders thereon.

2. A nail having a shank composed of a pair of legs pointed at one end and joined together at one side adjacent to said pointed end, said legs being folded along their line of joinder to cause them to be disposed in overlying relation, one of said legs being shorter than the other and having shoulders adjacent to but spaced from the rear end of the long leg, the long leg having at least its free end transversely curved to reinforce it against lateral bending the shoulders constituting one end of a head formed on the short leg, said head being wider than the width ofboth legs and extending on a curve over the rear end of the long leg, said head having an end formed with a slot engaging both legs adjacent to the shoulders on the short leg.

3. A sheet metal nail of the character described comprising a pair of legs connected together adjacent one end by an angularly-disposed fold, one

of said legs being shorter than the other and provided with an integrally-formed, relatively wide strip portion having shoulders at one end and slotted at its opposite end, the longer leg having at least its free end reinforced against lateral bending said strip portion being in the form of a complete loop having its axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the legs and extending over the head end of the long leg, said strip member having its slotted end straddling both legs and taking under the shoulders.

4. A sheet metal nail as provided for in claim 3, wherein the loop is provided with oppositelyclisposed notches in its side edges causing it to collapse and flatten under a hammer blow.

EMANUEL GISONDI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 964,226 Farrand July 12, 1910 1,336,162 Royer Apr. 6, 1920 2,126,346 Rosborough Aug. 9, 1938 2,218,753 Johnson Oct. 22, 1940 2,222,338 Roberts Nov. 19, 1940 2,333,930 Hedstrom Nov. 9, 1943 2,355,955 Cummins Aug. 15, 1944 2,429,113 Warner Oct. 14, 1947 

